Topic: engine help!

[1978TransAmkid]

me and my dad are wanting to pulll the engine out of my 1978 trans am. it has the 400 6.6 400 turbo tranny and 3.73 gears. we were wanting to finally put some money into the engine, im planning on ordering the comp mutha thumpr 287th7 cam. just curiuse if i should go smaller or bigger? im order roller rockers probally a 2500 torque converter, timing chain, shift kit, headers. just trying to get allitle more info on the best size cam i should use.

thanks, shane

[gilbertsta]

I think everyone will tell you to make it a "stroker" If you do I recommend ohiocrankshaft.com  they have a nice offering for the price. Also pick up Jim Hands Pontiac engine building book . At about twenty bucks it has a lot of useful information.  Also your cam needs to mach your intake and carb. Are your heads ported? what size is the combustion chamber in your heads. As Jim hands book will tell you you can spend money  on new parts but if they are not in sync you will have issues. Do you want lower end torque or do you want to drive on the hwy at a 70 mph cruise? Also take a look at your lifters. There is usefull info on lifters and rockers...1.5 or 1.65? See your simple question about a new cam is not so simple. I recently was in your position and have been doing a lot of reading, talking and absorbing information. I was a chevy man my most of my life and now got my first pontiac. Well it is actually going on my 3rd engine in a year. I spun rod bearing in the other two engines, mostly from cuising on the hwy at 70mph, 3000 rpm for extended periods of time. Also Check out "Pontiac Dude" website. He has a lot of info too......

[oreobadr]

go to camquest.com, they will help you with everything on picking out cams, and if your looking for like a 60 horsepower gain, it sounds like a good way to do it with the stuff you described

[72blackbird]

Not all Pontiac 400's are created equal- if you have a no.500557 400 it has undercut main saddles and can crack at the main cap dowel pins if you run a 6.8/4.25/3.0 stroker kit, squeeze, or run a blower or turbo. But even this 400 can support 450 hp, so don't hesitate to use it.

Geno

[Joker (§ir£Ğragon)]

Before you order your tranny parts make sure you actually have a TH400. They weren't installed in a '78 Trans Am from the factory.

[4SPEED]

ohiocrankshaft,   SRS,    stan ray & sons  ,  they go buy many names.   just read the ultra fine print on there warranty